engineering

While in college, students are always looking for a way to stay ahead of the game. One of the best ways to get a leg up over other recent graduates is to have some work experience under your belt. Although it’s possible to have a full-time job while in school, a stellar part-time internship can get you similar experience with half the work. So instead of giving you a parental-esque rant, I came up with a list of awesome college jobs that would provide great real world experience. They are so cool that they might be out of reach for some, but at least it gives you something to shoot for!

1. Human Resources at Procter & Gamble. Work with the HR department and help them with the current issues facing the department, along with issues facing other operation groups. This is great for a college student pursuing a career in Management or HR that wants to gain valuable experience with managerial tasks, along with leadership training. The pay is minimal, but there is much to learn while working at this Fortune 500 company. Getting offered a full-time job after your internship is pretty common, so work hard! This can really set you apart from other employees when starting your career path straight out of school.

2. Social Media Consultant at Chess Media Group.Since most of our generation has taken social media by the horns, why not get paid to help businesses with it? Social media consultants help business cultures stay in touch with their customers at a grass roots level. This is an ideal job no matter what career you are looking for; you will gain in-depth experience on how to organize market research and programs, optimize web content for the right people, and work in a team environment to complete objectives. The pay is vague depending on the location, but this is a booming field where our generation totally has a leg up on our elders.

3. Aquatic Team at Disney.Experience everything from analysis of fish health to studying the behavior and cognition of mammals. This internship is a great way to open doors for those interested in zoology, animal science, or a related field. Everyone and their mother knows about Disney, so you’ll definitely gain notoriety. More importantly, Disney is well known for compensating their interns well. You can gain a vast amount of experience from knowledgeable researchers. You will also be presenting material to guests, gaining valuable speaking experience. If you aren’t wanting to be a zoologist, Disney also has plenty of other opportunities depending on what field you’re interested in.

4. Brand Ambassador at Anheuser-Busch. This has got to be one the greatest jobs for college students. Brand ambassadors try to convince people to use or sample your product. Wine and spirits brand ambassadors are most common around college campuses; I’m sure you’ve seen them in clubs and bars. The pay is around $400/week, which is pretty great pay for anyone in college. Social events and major discounts are just a few perks that are included. Sales will be your main focus, so companies are looking for people that are extremely outgoing. The only requirement is that you’re 21.

5. Financial Representative at Northwestern Mutual.Northwestern Mutual prides itself as having the best student internships for the past 14 years in a row. Learn all the aspects of running sales from knowledgeable veterans, create your own schedule that is tailored to your needs, help satisfy clients, and succeed as a financial representative. Your pay is based upon the number of appointments you have and how successful you are with those appointments. You are guided and pushed to work hard, but this type of work will help with interpersonal skills within a team environment.

6. Wall Street Journalist. Most journalism majors write for their school newspaper. Why not take that to the next level and work for a national publication like the Wall Street Journal? The pay is about $700/week, so if you’re one of the lucky 15 they select, rent money will no longer be a problem. You’ll be a full-on journalist, writing about specific topics that have peaked your interest as a writer. Talk about some great work experience.

7. Designer at Electronic Arts. Work with engineers and graphic designers to create the latest and greatest video games. There aren’t many opportunities to intern at smaller video game studios, so you should probably aim at a larger company like Electronic Arts. Be creative and use your programming skills to produce something your parents will be proud of and your friends will enjoy. EA provides top of the line training for interns and new hires. Pay varies based on what job you are assigned to. Not many interns can say they helped create the first person shooter your entire dorm room is playing!

8. Consulting at Accenture. Develop your analytical skills in a fast paced environment, while finding unique solutions for your clients. Accenture has a great corporate culture; they even provide career path consulting to interns! There are ample opportunities to make a great name for yourself; as you will be working with decision makers from many different industries. The pay depends on your role as a consultant, whether you’re involved in management consulting as an intern, or as part-time focus group participant.

9. Business Internship at Google. Google has implemented an internship for business students who may not want to become a software developer. The internship gives students an opportunity to work with one of the best companies in the world. Depending on your major, you will be placed in one of their corporate locations and work alongside an experienced mentor. You’ll gain valuable knowledge and learn innovative strategies from one of the best in the business. The pay is competitively based, so the harder you work, the higher your pay will be. If I could work anywhere to impress any future employers, this would be the place.

10. General Electric Engineering Co-op. Work with colleagues on the newest technologies from wind energy to mechanical systems. This job gives you real world experience with product research, planning, and strategic development while keeping an eye on customer service. Interns receive the same benefits as full-time employees. They also pay a competitive salary, where income is based on performance and success in your field. It’s GE, I mean who honestly does not have at least one of their appliances in their house?